Lubricous toppings and cream fillings for cookies and pastries often contain moderate to high fat levels to improve the organoleptic quality of the product while at the same time preventing microbial growth in products that can be stored without refrigeration. Reduction in the caloric content of these toppings is often achieved by increasing the water content and decreasing the fat content. This can increase the water activity to levels where bacteria, yeast and molds can thrive, which decreases the shelf-life of the product. Moreover, low-fat recipes obtained by the simple substitution of fat with water often require a variety of additional ingredients such as emulsifiers or hydrocolloids to maintain a stable texture and a somewhat natural consistency and mouthfeel in the final product. Toppings low in fat can also be sticky, requiring special packaging.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,088,792 to Bracco disclosed a low calorie edible cream containing 50 to 90% water and, based on dry ingredients, from 10 to 35% amylaceous materials (untreated and unmodified starch and higher poly-saccharides equivalent to starch), at least 5% proteins, and at least 5% fat. Although peanut oil is employed in one example, the suggested fats are primarily those now linked with increases in plasma cholesterol concentrations and, for that reason avoided in many modern recipes (see Bonanome, A., and Grundy, S. M., New Eng. Jour. Med. 318: 1244-1248 (1988)), i.e., palm and coconut oil and animal fats such as lard and butter. The product has a high water content, so it is stored in sterile containers for storage. In addition, processing of the ingredients is complex, requiring homogenization under pressure followed by heating and holding at specified temperatures.
Lenchin, et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 4,510,166, suggested certain converted gelling starches and water as fat replacements for a variety of foodstuffs including whipped toppings and butter cream icings, so long as the starch and water formed gels of defined strengths. Where the starches were not rendered cold-water-swellable during conversion, pregelatinization was required. The percent fat replacement achieved was variable, however; only refrigerated or frozen food products achieved significant fat replacement using the technique. In the examples, the normal fat component of a whipped topping and a butter cream icing was only reduced by 50%.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,707,374 to King, et al., disclosed a thermostable edible creme for puff pastries, fried pie cookies, cream puffs and center-filled collets comprising a cooked dispersion of a modified starch and a hydrocolloid in a low-moisture solvent system containing corn syrup and, optionally, a lactose hydrolysate. The cream also preferably contains fat and an emulsifier to improve the texture.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,051,271 to Iyengar, et al., disclosed a method for preparing a food-grade, insoluble bulking agent by retrograding starch. The bakery products and low fat margarine exemplified all contained a butterfat, shortening or vegetable oil component.
Loh, et al., disclosed compositions and methods of making aqueous sugar dispersions containing hydrated microparticles of cocoa having a particle size of from about 0.1 to 20 microns, preferably from about 0.1 to 10 microns (U.S. Pat. No. 5,185,175). Cocoa powder dispersed in a liquid medium is milled by pumping it through a chamber containing ceramic beads that are continuously agitated using a rapidly rotating shaft bearing rotor discs; afterwards, paste containing the milled cocoa is discharged while the beads are retained in a dynamic separator. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,911,946, Singer, et al., employed starch cross-linking to obtain non-agglutinating carbohydrate particles having a substantially spheroidal shape that displayed a similarly smooth organoleptic character. Though the pulverized cocoa and cross-linked starch obtained by these methods exhibit cream-like properties, the procedures requires complex equipment, and the natural fat content of the cocoa in chocolate compositions is not removed.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,132,128, Rockland disclosed a hot fudge topping comprising a blend of carrageenan gum, powdered cellulose, a non-heat thinning gum cellulose bulking agent, high fructose corn syrup, a humectant and certain trace food additives. The composition was formulated for its viscosity, so that it exhibited an appropriate viscosity at room and heated temperatures, yet did not set up or become viscous at the reduced temperature of a frozen dessert.
It would be desirable to have low-calorie, preferably fat-free, bakery product toppings and fillings that exhibit a creamy texture and good shelf stability.